MEET PIERCE

Pierce Freelon wants to build Durham’s future, together.

He was born and raised in our city, and he wants to preserve the spirit of what makes Durham a thriving, creative community while ensuring opportunity for all. In fact, this is what Pierce has been doing long before he decided to run for mayor.

He is the founder of Blackspace, a digital maker space in Durham where young people learn about music, film and coding, and he’s frontman of the local jazz hip-hop band The Beast. He also co-founded Beat Making Lab, an Emmy-Award winning PBS web-series and social entrepreneurship community program.

Pierce has traveled the world, building spaces for creative expression and social justice.

He is the youngest person to be appointed by the Governor to serve on the North Carolina Arts Council board. He has also served on the boards of the Durham Library Foundation, Nasher Museum of Art, KidZNotes, and others.

Pierce earned a BA in African and African American Studies at UNC Chapel Hill and an MA in Pan African Studies at Syracuse University. He has taught music, political science, and African American studies at UNC Chapel Hill and North Carolina Central University.